No matter what I do, compound path won't work

[janepell]

Hello,

This happens from time to time. I'm a frequent Illustrator user. I understand very well how to make a compound path. The holes in front, no strokes, no grouping. I have checked every single thing, from opacity to making sure the path is entirely closed, and yet it won't work on some of my graphics.

Not that this should matter but they started as image traced graphics that I expanded. This always seem to create two overlapping paths. I deleted the additional one and only have one path for each shape.

I also restarted Illustrator.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

[janepell]

Just for kicks, I copied and pasted the graphic into InDesign and pasted it back into Illustrator and was able to finally get compound path to work. But should I have to use that workaround?

[Eugenio.NYC]

Hi, double check your layers and see what you have, maybe you have to go to object menu and 

Ungroup many times until you dont see is part of a group

expand appearance

check is not a clipping mask

LMK

regards

E

[Monika Gause]

Can you please show a screenshot of your paths and the layers panel (with those paths visible in it)

[janepell]

I swear to god nothing is grouped. No clipping mask. See attached image. The rhubarb stalk on the left worked but only after I pasted it into InDesign, then cut and pasted it back into Illustrator. However, the stalk on the right won't compound path correctly. In the layers palette, you'll see the compound path (the stalk on the left). And the other sublayers are the paths for the stalk on the right. The main (outer stalk) is sent to back.

I know it must be frustrating to deal with people who haven't checked that the proverbial plug is actually plugged in, but I really have checked everything. I have even simplified path just to see if that's what was preventing compound path.

[Eugenio.NYC]

Hi

Go to object path and reverse path direction

LMK

[Doug A Roberts]

In the attributes panel, try using the Even-Odd Fill Rule.

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

Jane,

Pathfinder>Minus front is your friend.

[janepell]

That worked! Thank you. I use pathfinder all the time but rarely that option.

Is there any structural difference from compound path? I noticed that now "release" is an option

under compound path so I suppose not.

The above suggestion to reverse path direction didn't work and I don't seen an even/odd rule option.

Can't believe I struggled this long. Thank you.

[Doug A Roberts]

The Even/Odd Full Rule is here:

It's just something else to check when compound paths are not behaving as you expect.

[defaultgyqoc6r3sih9]

I had the same problem, and tried the suggestions above, but it was even/odd rule that fixed it for me. Many thanks all

[Jacob Bugge]

For my part you are welcome, defaultg.

I am puzzled though that Minus front seems to have failed you.

[Jacob Bugge]

For my part you are welcome, Jane.

Normally you can use either with the same outcome (as with one/non overlapping path(s) on top of a larger path).